The energy generation capacity of the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam is limited and will not exceed 30 percent, said Egypt's former water resources and irrigation minister Mohamed Nasr Allam.
Speaking at a conference held at the Lebanese University in Beirut under the rubric on the Nile Basin, Allam said that it was better for the Ethiopians to build a smaller dam.
Ethiopia should acknowledge Egypt's quota of the Nile water and vice versa to render any initiatives to resolve the conflict a success, he said.
Allam, meanwhile, underlined the need of increasing the volume of trade exchange, encouraging investments and promoting cooperation between the two countries.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has been a point of contention between Egypt and Ethiopia, as Egypt fears the dam will have damaging effects on its share of the Nile water.
Ethiopian officials insist the dam will not hamper Egypt's water share and have instead pointed to gains in electricity production offered by the project.
Source: MENA